Better
by evincis
Summary: August returns to Storybrooke after 3 years. How much has changed? Is he ready to face those changes or will they push him off the edge again? Wooden Swan.
1. The return

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent_

**Return**

As he approached the sign saying "Welcome to Storybrooke" August stopped his bike. He stepped down and started walking around, taking deep breaths. He remembered the day that he has left this little town on the coast of Maine. On the one hand, he couldn't wait to go back after spending 3 years having only phone conversations with his father. True, the old man had figured out how to use skype (thanks to Henry he suspected) but it wasn't the same as getting to hug him and help him out in the shop. On the other hand, he was afraid of what he was going to witness. The last time that he had rolled into Storybrooke on his bike he had run into Emma Swan, sheriff of Storybrooke, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, mother of Henry, only love of his life.

He thought about his father. The old man didn't even know that his son was returning tonight. August wanted it to be a surprise. He hadn't actually planned on coming back until a couple of days before so he had been surprised himself when he'd gotten on his bike and taken off for Maine. Something was pulling his back to town. Was it his father? He remembered how they had parted.

_Flashback_

"_Son, you don't have to go. We'll get through this." Marco tried to rub August's back. "We've been though worse."_

"_No we haven't. And yes, I have to." The young man continues stashing his stuff in his travel bag. "At least for a while. I just… I can't stay."_

"_They will come around. You'll see." The old man tried to reassure his son._

"_It's not them, father. It's her." He took a deep breath. "I can't be around her."_

"_Running away is not a solution, son. You know that better than anyone." Marco was determined to keep his son. After everything that had happened, he didn't want to lose him again._

"_It is now." August turned away and looked at his father. The pain in the old man's expression was obvious. But August couldn't stay. He had to go. He had to figure out his purpose in life and he had to do it away from Emma because for the past year… more like his entire life (who was he kidding) the only goals in his life had been making his father proud and making sure that Emma would fulfill her destiny and have her happy ending. "Look, father. I know that it is hard to be separated again. And I don't want to leave you. But right now. Right now I can't stay in Storybrooke. It's too painful."_

"_Son, I know that it hurts but that is why Jiminy and I are here. We can help you get through this." Looking at the bandages around his son's wrists, Geppetto took a deep breath. "You are not alone."_

"_I know." August sat next to his father and put an arm on his shoulder. "I'm fine, ok? No need to worry about me. I won't do anything stupid, I promise. But I can't stand it any more. Even after all this, she still blames me. And she has every right to. And every time I see her in town, it'll just bring out all those memories in my head and the guilt… I am not strong enough to face the past. Maybe I will one day but it's better for everyone, including you, that I leave town for a while. I'll call. I promise."_

"_I will miss you so much, my boy." Marco hugged his son, tears falling on his cheeks._

"_I will miss you too, father." _

_End of Flashback_

"I'm on my way, father." He thought, jumped on his bike and drove into town. For better or for worse.

Contrary to the previous time that he'd come to Storybrooke, he now knew the town pretty well so he knew how to get to his father's house without having to go through the main street. He wasn't sure whether he was ready for everyone to know that he was back just yet. As he approached his father's workshop he saw that the light was on. The woodcrafter had the habit of working late. On the opposite side of the table was sitting no other than Dr. Archibald Hopper, otherwise known as Jiminy. August smiled: he would get to see his two closest people. The sound of the engine caught the attention of the two men who turned in his direction.

"Pinnocchio?" Geppetto immediately saw him. Even after all this time, the man couldn't get rid of the habit of calling him by his Fairy tale name. "My boy. You are back." It wasn't long after August had put out the engine and stepped down from the bike that he got a bone crushing hug from his father.

"Father."

"You're back." Marco stepped back and looked at his son. "Tell me that you are back."

"I'm back."

"For good?" Jiminy approached him.

"If you'll have me." August smiled. The two men nodded. "Now, is there anything to eat in this house? I've been on the road all day and I'm starving." They all laughed and made their way to the kitchen.

_AN/ So? What did you think? I hope that this raised a few questions. Let me know what you think. _


	2. A ghost from the past

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent_

_AN/ Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. They warmed my heart. I hope that you will like this chapter just as much. _

**Ghost from the past**

When August woke up, it took him a moment to realize that he was in his father's house in Storybrooke. He smiled. He was finally home with his father. He had finally found some internal peace. And it felt nice. He got up, promised he'd make his bed later, and decided to go directly to the shop where he knew his father would be.

As he looked out the window, he noticed the sheriff's patrol car and froze. He took a deep breath. He didn't expect to see Emma so soon. He wondered whether he should stay hidden in his room but his curiosity took the better of him. The fact that he wanted to see her didn't mean that he wanted her to see him so he sneaked out of his room and opened the door to his father's shop enough to be able to see them talking.

What he in front of him surprised him for several reasons. And the first one was not good. The last time that he'd seen Emma, she'd been very angry which meant that she hadn't been as pretty as she usually was but the woman standing in front of him… Was she really Emma? Despite the high temperature, she was wearing a turtleneck, which was uncharacteristic for her. And she wasn't wearing one of her leather jackets. She had given up on curling her hair. She had started wearing make up. And not in a good way. Her eyes were tired. The sparkle that he used to see in there was gone.

The second thing that surprised him was the object that his father handed her. A rocking horse. The kind that he had himself helped carve when Snow White and her husband had prepared Emma's nursery. He took a look at her left hand and what he saw there stabbed him in the heart like a dagger. A ring. Did she have another kid too? He couldn't look any more. The pain of having permanently lost Emma came again to the surface.

_Flashback_

"_I can't believe that you of all people did this to me." Emma was shouting at him. _

"_Emma, I'm sorry." He tried to explain. "I know that my methods were not adapted but my intentions were good."_

"_Intentions? Don't you dare talk to me about intentions! I could have grown up with my mother beside me. Or I could have at least kept my son."_

"_Emma, I didn't know what to do. I was young and lost…"_

"_Excuses. You are only making excuses for yourself. You are a pathetic disgrace." She looked at him with despair. "You are a coward and a selfish liar. You should have stayed a damn puppet. You sure as hell don't deserve to have blood running through your veins. I don't want to see you ever again." With that, she left._

_End of Flashback_

"August?" A voice made him come back to reality.

"Archie. You surprised me." August entered back in the living room.

"You ok?" The therapist asked him. "It's the first time that you have seen Emma in 3 years. It's normal."

"Don't get all shrinky, please." August grabbed the coffee pod and poured some coffee in a cup. "It makes me feel like I'm a kid again."

"I'm just trying to help you." Archie said in a comforting tone. "I might be a therapist now, but I'm first and foremost your friend. Don't forget that."

"How could I?" Both men looked at the marks on August's wrists and Archie was taken back 3 years.

_Flashback_

"_August, please. Let me help you." Archie was trying to catch up with August. _

"_You can't. No one can. There is no point." August started to engine of his bike and took off. Archie was worried. He had never seen August so… no, depressed might have been the clinical term but it didn't reflect what Archie had seen in the man's eyes: heartbreak and lack of any hope for life. He turned around and he headed to the sheriff station._

"_Hey, Archie." Henry was obviously visiting his mother and grandfather at work. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I wanted to talk to your mom if that's ok."_

"_Sure. What's up?" Emma emerged from her office. Archie looked at Henry. The boy shouldn't be hearing this._

"_Henry, why don't you go ahead to the diner? I'll be right there." As Henry left the station, stayed behind. "What do you want to talk about?"_

"_It's not so much of a what as a who." _

"_No. If you're here to convince me to forgive him, the answer is no." Emma snapped._

"_I'm not here for that." Archie explained. He was thinking about how not to reveal anything that August had said in therapy. He respected the man's privacy. "I'm just worried about him. He hasn't been the same ever since you had that fight."_

"_And why should I care?" Archie could understand Emma's anger but he wished that she'd calm down for a minute._

"_Please, don't force me to tell you things that August shared in confidence in order to convince you. I do not want to betray his trust."_

"_Like he did mine?" Emma was angry and Archie understood her, as a therapist and as a person._

"_Emma, I think that I have always shown that I have good intentions and I want to help your family. I do not wish any of you any harm. But Geppetto and Pinnocchio are family to me. Please, let me help him." Archie took a deep breath. "Whatever you told him, he's pretty shaken up."_

"_I just told him the truth. That what he had no right to meddle with my life especially in the way that he did."_

"_It must have been more than that."_

"_Look, I have more important things to do than to try to help the most selfish person in history. He's a grown man and can make his own decisions. He made that pretty clear." _

"_Is that what you told him?" Archie's expression changed. "Oh Emma, his entire life people have put in his head that he is selfish, a coward and a liar. You of all people telling him this kind of stuff…" Archie decided to shut up before he told her something that she shouldn't know. "I have to go." _

_End of Flashback_

"I never thanked you." August turned to the man who had acted like his conscience for years. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive right now. Of course I didn't see what good would come our of it back then."

"That is because you constantly underestimate yourself. You let what others influence the way that you look at yourself." Archie said. "And it's normal, this world has fed with our stories for so long. But they also got many things wrong. Don't let Disney brainwash you."

"They got my story right. Except they stop it before I became a true failure."

"You are scarring me again." Archie put an arm on August's shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm not going back to that place. I wouldn't put my father through that one more time."

"Good. He wouldn't survive another …" Archie didn't want to continue.

"Say it. Suicide attempt." August got up and looked out the window. "I know that what I did was selfish. And that it hurt my father. I get it now and I have no intention to get to that place again."

"Does that have anything to do with our lovely deputy sheriff?"

"Deputy? I thought that Prince Charming was deputy." August turned around.

"She stepped down not long after you left. I think that she considered herself a failure as a sheriff." Archie answered. "Your father hasn't told you much about the royal family, has he?"

"Not really. He's been avoiding them. I guess he was worried about my reaction." August took a deep breath. "I noticed that she's engaged." Was he hoping that Archie would tell him that he was wrong?

"She is." Archie said with a grave tone, which made August think that the man didn't exactly approve of that union.

"Neal?" Archie nodded. Even though he'd expected it, the confirmation that Emma and Neal were engaged hurt. But all he could do was suffer in silence. "What was that with the rocking horse?" he decided to ask. "It's very much like the one that father and I built for her back in our land."

"It is, isn't it?" Archie smiled realizing the real reason why August asked. "It's for her brother. Tomorrow is his first birthday."

"Wow." August was relieved. And he didn't really know why. Emma was engaged to another man.

"It's ok to be relieved." Archie remained silent. "You still love her." August didn't know whether that was a question or a statement.

"Always." He swallowed with difficulty. He got up and headed to the garage to help out his father.

_AN/ Did you like it? A few elements from the past where revealed. Did you like them. Do they make you want to read more. Let me know. _


	3. Happy Birthday

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent_

_AN/ So here is chapter 3. After the disappointment from the last episode, we need more than ever Wooden Swan fics. August's actions were brave but he paid too great a price for his redemption. I will always think that he and Emma were meant to be. _

**Happy Birthday**

_Happy Birthday to you._ Everyone finished singing and the little boy clapped his hands.

"Ready to blow the candles?" David said picking up his son and approaching him to the cake.

"C'dles" The boy tried to repeat his father's words.

"Yep. Can you blow them by yourself or do you need Daddy's help?" In moments like this one it became obvious to everyone around just how much Charming worshiped his son.

"Dadda."

"All right, big guy. On three. One. Two. Three."

"Bravo." Everyone applauded.

"That's my big boy." Snow picked up the child from her husband. "You're so big already. You'll be helping your sister and your father at the sheriff station before we know it."

"Emma." The baby said reaching for his sister. "Emma."

"Do you want to go to Emma?" Snow shot a look at her daughter who nodded.

"Come here, Leo." Emma picked up the baby, who had been named after their grandfather Leopold. Even though it was a little weird that she was 32 and her brother was 1, she loved him. She hadn't realized how attached she would become to him until she had gotten to hold him for the first time. This kid would be so spoiled by her, their parents and, yes, his own nephew who was now 14.

"How weird is it that my uncle is 13 years younger than me?" Henry made a comment although he didn't really mind. He just liked to point some of these things out.

"Not weirder than one of your grandfather's being in his 30s and the other in his 350's." Rumplestilskin intervened. Oh yes, since she and Neal were now engaged, his father got to attend the family stuff. It was a little tense because of the history that the two families shared but they somehow managed to make it work. And Regina's presence wasn't making things easier even though she didn't aim at killing anyone of them any more.

"Can we not get into that discussion again?" Neal said as he took the piece of cake that Snow was handing him. "I think that we learned just how bad that idea is at the past 3 Thanksgivings." Everyone laughed. When David had said that Thanksgiving would be tricky, that had been an understatement.

"Neal's right. Now, give me the baby and enjoy your cake." Snow handed Emma a piece.

"It's ok. You spent the entire morning preparing for this. I've got him." Emma tightened her grip around her brother. Even though it had been a little odd in the beginning, she loved her brother more than anything.

"Thank you."

As everyone ate, Emma watched her extremely dysfunctional family. A family that she didn't know that she had only a few years go. A family that she would now die for. Well, for most of them. She loved her parents. Now that they didn't have to constantly fight Gold or Regina, she was bonding just fine with Mary and David. She got to spend every day with her father and had found out that she was a lot like him. Besides, he was giving her more space than Mary. But that didn't mean that they weren't close. There were some moments when even he couldn't convince himself rationally that she needed space and pushed her to open up. But he still respected her judgment and she wanted to make sure that he would know how happy she was to have him as a dad.

Her gaze moved to her Snow who was wiping whipped cream from Henry's mouth. Emma felt lucky to have such a best friend/mom. They had gotten very close, especially during Snow's pregnancy. Emma would go to her when she thought that she couldn't deal with something emotionally and Mary had always heard her with an open mind. Emma wasn't the type of person who spoke about her feelings on daily basis but she occasionally opened up. And Snow came to her as well. Emma was proud to day that she'd saved her father from sleeping on the couch a couple of times although she doubted that there was any real danger of that. Her parents were too much in love.

She then looked at Henry who was, without a doubt, the love of her life. Her son, a son that she was so proud of that she couldn't describe it. It was a miracle that he wasn't totally messed up with all the family drama. He was the greatest, most forgiving person that she had ever met. He was the glue that held them all together. She wouldn't probably be getting married to Neal if it weren't for him.

Neal. The man who had hurt her years ago. The man that she had loved years ago and that someone else separated her from. After he had decided to stay in Storybrooke, they had … well, they had recaptured the past. She loved him. She knew that she probably always would. After all, he's been her first love. The first man that she'd said "I love you" to. But 11 years later, it wasn't the same. Once, she'd felt the need to be around him 24/7. Once, every time his lips touched hers, she'd felt like she was the only girl on earth. That was all gone now. She was happy. She was pretty sure of that but she wondered whether they would have gotten back together if it weren't for Henry. They probably would have. But would they have lasted so long? Would they have been engaged?

"You ok?" Neal asked her and put a hand on her shoulder. His tone was kind and loving.

"Yeah. I was just thinking." Emma answered.

The rest of the day was uneventful. They ate cake and opened presents.

"Emma. This is amazing." Snow said as she opened the gift that Emma had bought for her brother.

"We had a rocking horse just like this one made for you." David was obviously pushing tears back.

"I know. Marco told me." Emma smiled.

"Geppetto made it?" Snow asked. There was still tension about her daughter and Marco. Emma nodded. "Thank you, Emma."

"Thank you." David kissed her cheek.

"You are welcome." She smiled. The baby started to move in her hands.

"Someone's getting fussy." Snow said and picked up the baby. "I'm going to take him upstairs for his nap and then I'll start cleaning up all this."

"Absolutely not." David got up. "You already chased me from the kitchen this morning. I'm not letting you clean all this as well."

"David."

"Uh, Uh." He picked up the baby. "If you refuse, I'll arrest you."

"You wouldn't." Snow smiled.

"Try me." David teased. "And I'm pretty sure that my deputy will agree with me."

"Absolutely." Emma answered. It was weird whenever David referred to her as his Deputy considering that the only reason that he was sheriff was that she'd let him. She turned to her father. "Why don't you take him upstairs and I'll start cleaning up here."

Emma got up, gave her brother a kiss on the forehead and started gathering the trash.

"Let me help." Neal suggested.

"No need. You and Henry go home. I'll be back later." Emma took a couple of plates and headed to the kitchen.

"Everything ok?" Snow asked her daughter. "With you and Neal, I mean."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know. Lately, you two have been different. And just now you sent him home."

"Everything is great. I'm just a little overwhelmed at the moment. You know how much I don't want to plan a wedding."

"That's why I'm here to help. Besides you haven't determined a date yet. Planning your wedding shouldn't be the source of problems with your fiancé." Snow handed her daughter a couple of plates.

"We don't." Emma took the plates from her mother. "Besides didn't you plan the wedding of all weddings? Don't tell me that you and David didn't fight about it."

"Well, to be fair, I did have an entire palace to help me. And besides, your father and I were already married. That took the pressure off of things. And he helped a lot. Although, I'm pretty sure that the wedding of all weddings was Ella's." That made Emma laugh.

"Oh yeah. The wedding where David was grinning more than the groom?"

"I'd just been told that I was going to be a father. Can you blame me?" David entered the kitchen.

"I guess not." Emma laughed.

"Didn't I tell you to rest?" David kissed his wife's cheek. "Why don't you two go grab a cocoa while I do the dishes?"

"I married the perfect man." Snow smiled and buried her face in her husband's shoulder. "Come on, Emma. If we don't leave, he'll chase us out."

"Since when do you let him spoil you?" Emma asked her mother as they made their way back to the living room.

"Since I know better than argue with him." Snow sat down on the couch. "We have an agreement about my birthday and he respects it. Kind of. So I have to give him something."

"What do you mean?" Even though she knew her parents quite well now, Emma still discovered new things about them every single day.

"David just can't help himself. He is capable of creating a holiday only to get the chance to spoil me. I'm pretty sure that international woman's day here was inspired by the day of the Queen back home. He made it up right after we got married. He's not that bad, actually. I just don't like that kind of stuff. Every time I'd get mad at him. And then he'd makes his puppy eyes and I'd forgive him."

"Really? Nice example for future generations." Emma teased.

"He doesn't do it all the time. Just when it comes to surprises. Besides I do get angry with him. He just knows how to convince me to forgive him."

"Oh… And what methods of persuasion would Prince Charming have?" Emma got curious.

"More cocoa?" Snow's cheeks turned red.

"Oh, come on. You're not getting away that easily. I can take it. I'm a grown person."

"Fine. But don't say that I didn't warn you." Mary Margaret answered. "Let's just say that I'm pretty sure that you are a consequence of his apology for our 1 month wedding anniversary surprise."

"Ew! I didn't need to know that." Emma made a face.

"Told you."

Mary Margaret and Emma continued to talk until David cleaned the dishes. Emma was happy to spend some time with her mother. She'd had a rough week and some time with her Mary Margaret was exactly what she needed.

_AN/ So here was the answer to some of your questions about Emma. The next chapter will give a little more insight into her thoughts about August. However, you know the drill, if you want to read it, leave me some comments even if it is to critique. _


	4. Forget me Not

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent_

_AN/ Sorry for the late update. I'm really busy with school right now so I don't have much time to write so be patient. If I manage to uphold my study schedule, I will be able to update soon. _

_Since some of you, yes _shroederplayspiano, _that means you, requested an Emma/August moment, here you go. This chapter is almost entirely composed by a Flashback. Originally, I intended to continue the scene but I think that this way I can emphasize on Emma and August. _

**Forget me not**

As she made her way out of the apartment, Emma locked the door and secured the old-fashioned wooden lock that had been put there a little before the curse had broken. It was the little element on the door that somehow always made her feel safe. But every time she locked it, it also reminded her of the man who had installed it. Recently she had been thinking a lot about August. Why that was, she didn't know. Maybe because of that interview that she had seen a couple of weeks ago.

_Flashback_

_It was Friday night. Henry was with Regina. Neal was with his father and Belle. Ruby was babysitting Leo so that her parents could have some alone time. That meant that Emma was taking the night shift. She was bored. It was an uneventful night but someone still had to be in the sheriff station. She took the remote control and started flipping though the channels. When you were royalty in your own little town, the outside world rarely interested you. But Emma liked to see what was happening in the world in which she had lived for 28 years. She stumbled upon a late night show. Even though it wasn't really her thing, she was bored out of her mind and she decided to watch._

"_Welcome again." The hostess started to talk. "Tonight's special guest is handsome, mysterious and knows how to charm his readers with words. Please welcome, for his first official interview ever, August Booth."_ _Emma froze. She hadn't heard that name in almost 3 years. August was a taboo topic around her. No one wanted to remind her about him for different reasons. Even when her path crossed Marco's, they nodded politely, talked about the weather and generally avoided each other. _

"_Thank you for inviting me." The sound of his voice made her snap out of her thoughts. She pushed back the images of the last time that she had seen him and started listening._

"_I am so glad that you could make it tonight. Word around is that you refuse interviews on principle. We only get to speak to your publisher. Why?" The hostess said._

"_I am not refusing systematically." His voice sounded sadder than it had been before. "Talk shows are generally made for celebrities to talk about themselves. I don't consider myself a celebrity and there isn't much to tell about me. But my publisher somehow convinced me to come here, so here I am."_

"_There is no need to be modest. You are one of the best selling authors in the past couple of years. Your last book was published only 4 months ago and you have already sold over a million copies. How does that feel?"_

"_Not much different." August said simply. He was a writer so he preferred to write, not talk._

"_What does an author who used to live on the road do when he suddenly becomes rich and famous?"_

"_I never sought that. Having a lot of money doesn't really agree with me. So I guess that I'll be mostly repaying old debts." What did he mean with that? August always managed to mess with Emma's head without even trying._

"_How do you explain the success of your books?" The hostess asked. She was obviously struggling maintaining a fluid conversation since her guest was very laconic in his answers._

"_That is not for me to explain and, to be fair, I can't." August said simply. _

"_Maybe it is the way that you describe your characters. Many readers say that they seem very alive. Are they based on real people?"_

"_Who are we to say what is real and what isn't?" He answered enigmatic as always._

"_I wanted to ask you specifically about the main character. Anna. She seems central to your stories. She is probably the character that you described in greatest detail. It is just so easy to picture her. And the way that you describe her… Is she inspired by someone in particular? A friend? A sister? A lover?"_

"_Anna was indeed inspired by someone for whom I have a deep respect and admiration." Anyone else may have missed it, but Emma could detect that he was uncomfortable, he always crossed his legs and hands when he wasn't in charge of a situation._

"_About her relationship with Jack – it doesn't seem that he is the best choice for her. Why decide to keep them together?"_

"_You know, as a writer I have respect the choices of my characters. If I impose things on them, they will become other people or the story will not be realistic. And Anna is a very strong-willed and independent character so there isn't much that I could do."_

"_Nevertheless, there is a feeling among our readers that Jack and Anna do not make sense as a couple. Maybe one of the very few flaws that readers found in your novel."_

"_As I said, Anna is her own person and makes her own choices. And I have to respect that. I can't make decisions for her." Even though she hadn't read his book, Emma somehow knew that he wasn't talking about Anna. She smiled. "One of the things that I have learned the hard way is that everyone is the master of their own destiny as they should be. And one shouldn't intervene in other people's lives."_

"_Even when they are making a mistake?"_

"_Even when they make the biggest mistake of their life." There was a silence. Or it seemed that way to Emma. She felt as though he was looking at her through the TV. Did he really think that? Did he really believe that she had made a mistake choosing Neal? She wished that that he hadn't told her that on national TV. Then again, she wouldn't have listened to him before anyway._

"_When can we expect the next volume of your trilogy?" Emma realized that the conversation hadn't stopped but that she had just been lost in her thoughts." Will Anna find her Prince Charming?" August laughed rather loudly._

"_Anna is no damsel in distress. She doesn't need a man to protect her and take care of her. She needs a man who would make her feel special and support her in everything that she does. She needs a man who can show her just how amazing she is."_

"_You talk about her as if she were here or watching you. You said that she is inspired by someone that you know. The dedication of your books is very particular: "_Love is pain and love is sacrifice. But above all, love is strength when you allow it to be."_ Is it meant for her?" _

"_This dedication is for everyone who finds the strength to be the best version of themselves from the people that they love."_

"_Before we end, here are is a question from our Twitter page. Love seems to be a light motive of your books, a theme left to the background but critical to understand your characters. Are you speaking from personal experience? Your female readers seems very interested in whether there is or will be any time soon a Mrs Booth." Without realizing it, Emma held her breath in anticipation of his answer. _

"_No. I'm not married nor am I planning to be in the foreseeable future."_

"_Have you ever been in love?" Even from the chair in the small sheriff station Emma could feel the tension in the studio. Apparently August had quite a few female admirers and she couldn't say that she was surprised. _

"_Yes." August answered simply after a few seconds._

"_Can a woman steal your heart?" The hostess asked and Emma felt strangely _

"_It has already been given." He answered and looked right at the camera and Emma had the impression that he was looking right at her. She couldn't take this torture any more and switched off the TV._

_End of Flashback_

Before she realized it, Emma had arrived at the sheriff station. She stepped out of the car and started walking toward the entrance. So many thoughts were going through her mind. Not only had she been thinking about August the past few weeks, she'd dreamt of him two nights before. She had dreamt of the night he had arrived in Storybrooke a few years before. She'd been on the street with Henry, eating pumpkin pie. They had been discussing Neal. Well, Emma had lied about Neal. And her lies had caught up with her partially in the form of a very handsome man rolling his bike in Storybrooke. She had re-lived that night in her dream with the difference with one simple detail. In her dream, when Henry asked August whether he was staying and the man had confirmed, Emma had asked him why. And the answer August had given had been as enigmatic as him: "Because you need me here".

_AN/ Before you ask, August's book is not about Storybrooke. But Emma somehow provided inspiration for him. I hope that you liked the chapter. Please leave a comment behind. The last chapter didn't inspire many reviews so I hope that this one will. They make me want to write faster. Just sayin'._


	5. Memories from a forgotten past

_AN/ First of all, I am so sorry for the late update. I was really busy with exams. I didn't have as single second to write. _

_Second, thanks to all of you for reviewing. Your comments are so sweet. And don't hesitate to criticize. Thank you to all who picked up on the Anna reference._

_I hope that the new chapter will be worth the wait. _

The sound of singing birds along with the rays of sunshine made it clear that it was day and that August should be getting up. He didn't really mind. Even though his income had mainly come from writing in the past few years, he had still upheld a quite early schedule. And he was glad. Maybe it was the fear that he'd end up in Atlantic City or Vegas, going to bed at dawn and waking up in time for the first spin. Whether it was that or the fact that he had changed, he wanted to lead a somewhat normal life.

He got up, made his bed and headed toward his father's shop, thinking that he could help the old man with whatever project he was working on. Instead, he found a note on the table: "_Hook broke the door or the Rabit's Hole last night. I have to go take measurements. There is pie in the kitchen. Meet me at Granny's for lunch. Jiminy will be there as well. Do not try to get out of it, you will have to come out eventually_."

That last line was all Jiminy. August knew him well enough to realize that it wasn't his father trying to get him out of the house but the former cricket.

August read the note once again then he threw it against the wall. Why did he have to let everyone know that he was back? He knew that his father was glad and wanted to share that joy with the town but August wasn't ready to face everyone.

He exited the shop and headed toward the kitchen. He opened the fridge only to realize that the only alcohol there was a bottle of orange juice 3 days past it's expiration date. Of course his father had made sure that he wouldn't be tempted. However August knew the old man quite well. He headed toward the basement where every good Italian would keep a few bottles of wine in case he had guests. He found a bottle of not so expensive wine but that would do perfectly in this case. Once he was back in the kitchen, he opened it and pored a good quantity in a mug. He drank half of it and sat on the table. He closed his eyes as he remembered his last encounter with the people of this town.

_Flashback:_

_"Good morning. How are you feeling? You have us quite a scare." August saw Dr. Frankenstein, well, Dr. Whale here, enter his room. _

_"Alive, I guess." August said without particular enthusiasm. And to be fair he couldn't understand why people had been worried about him. _

_"You were very lucky that Dr. Hopper and Miss Swan found you when they did."_

_"Emma was there?" August turned to Jiminy who was making signs to Whale not to speak but now it was too late. The cat was out of the bag. _

_"Yes, I went to see her after you took off yesterday. We were worried about you..."_

_"You talked to her even though I specifically asked you not to?" August knew that Archie had meant well but all he wanted right now was to take his frustration on the people who had prevented his attempt from succeeding. _

_"Son, please don't..." his father was trying to smooth things but it wasn't helping. _

_"August, I didn't tell her anything that you shared with me. I only wanted to know what she told you that could have upset you so much. And it's a good think that I did."_

_"We clearly don't have the same definition of good. Now live me alone. When can I get out of here anyway? And why am I cuffed to the bed?"_

_"Your vitals are good. As far as I'm concerned, you should be able to leave tomorrow afternoon but not before Dr. Hopper signs off you psych evaluation. As for the cuffs, it the best way to keep you from doing anything stupid again. I can't give you sedatives knowing your previous addictions. They will come off as soon as Dr. Hopper assures me an the Sheriff that you will not be a threat to yourself or to others."_

_"You got Emma involved in all this?"_

_"It's standard procedure in cases of suicide attempts. Prince David will come talk to you later today in his capacity of Deputy."_

"_Great. Just great." Of the people that August wanted to speak in right now, David Nolan was pretty much in the bottom of the list followed by his father, Jiminy and Emma. _

_"We will let you rest now. Try to get some sleep. It will make you feel better." Marco stroked his head but August turned away."_

_End of Flashback_

August remembered the frustration of waking up. He couldn't do anything right, could he? He had failed in everything. Even at liberating the world from his presence.

He took another sip of wine and tried to remain calm. He couldn't go back to that place. If not for himself he had to pull through for his father. The old man deserved more than a son who was a coward. He tried to think of anything that would be worth living for.

_Flashback_

_August heard a knock on the door._

_"I said that I didn't want to talk, Archie."_

_"Do you also not want to eat?" August turned his head and saw Ruby carrying a basket filled with food. "Granny keeps saying that you can't think straight on an empty stomach." This side of Ruby reminded him of Red, Snow White's best friend who would sometimes humor him in the palace and who would tell him stories about the forest. She had always acted kind of motherly around him, which made it kind of difficult for him to stand up to her. Even now._

_"Not hungry." he said and he turned his head away._

_"All right but you know that Granny won't take it well if I bring her pie back. She'll take it personally and then I'll have to deal with a Grumpy old woman. Do it for me?"_

_"Fine." He said with a cold tone. "But I can't even stand up because of the cuffs."_

_"It's a good think that I have these then." She took out what looked like the keys from the handcuffs. "Seeing how handsome you turned out I shouldn't be _un_-cuffing you from a bed." He couldn't help but smile. That was weird coming from Red Riding Hood. But then again, he was Pinocchio. Who was he to judge? "See? You _can_ smile?" she paused. "I promised David that I would give them back to him so I have to cuff you back when you're done." She said with compassion. He nodded. "There you go." She handed him a grilled cheese and a piece of pie. He was surprised at how hungry he was but taking into account all the exhaustion from trying to kill himself an all the blood loss, he shouldn't have been. Too bad all that food was wasted on a deadbeat like him. Damn it, when had he become so cynical?_

_"It tastes really good." He was only half lying._

_"I'm glad you like it." Seeing the genuine joy in her eyes August felt guilty. But not the same kind of guilt that had pushed him to do what he had done. He felt guilty because he was realizing that people actually cared whether he lived or died. People who weren't his father or Archie. "It's good to see some color on your cheeks." she commented. He didn't answer. "August..."_

_"If Archie sent you here to try to make me talk, you can leave. Thanks for the food but I'm not worth the trouble." _

_"I'm not trying to make you talk about what happened. Just eat, please." she smiled. "But I won't lie to you. I'm concerned about you. It will take time to come back from that place." He looked at her with surprise. "Don't look so surprised. You know my story. You wrote it. I was... Still am a monster. I have made many mistakes but I have learned to live with them because I realized that I was better off living with the pain that I've caused than causing more pain by leaving the people that I love."_

_"I'm sorry Ruby but I can't imagine you feeling that way."_

_"That's because you've seen me only in the palace as a person who kind of keeps it together and fights. I wasn't always like that. I was afraid because I couldn't understand what I was. The wolf had taken so many lives. Seeing the pain that their families felt, I couldn't live with the guilt. I'm not proud to say it but during the first full moon after I discovered what I was I was hoping, praying even that a huntsman would find me and kill me." August looked at her the same way he did as a kid. _

_"What changed?" he forgot the food mesmerized by the story. She paused hesitating for a second._

_"I'm going to tell you something that only Snow knows. And I'm counting on you to keep it that way. I'm not ready to share it, even with Victor." he nodded. "That first full moon after I discovered the wolf I found a coven lead by no one else but my own mother. I was so happy but then Regina's men found us and killed on of the people in the coven. My mother blamed Snow." Red had tears in her eyes. "She wanted to kill her so,… So I… It was an accident and I still felt so guilty."_

"_Ruby, you don't have to go through this. I'm not worth it." He said._

"_Yes you are. You don't see it now but you are." She wiped away her tears. "I knew I had protected my best friend. The only person who accepted me the way I was. Who didn't make me choose. But it was still hard. We found a cottage but Snow had to be on the run. I was bringing her food whenever I could. I was in a really dark place. The only purpose that I had was to protect Snow but I wasn't sure how much longer that would keep me alive. She didn't really need me. She could take care of herself."_

"_Why are you telling me this?" It wasn't really the kind of story that you would tell if you were trying to convince someone not to commit suicide._

"_Because I want to you to know that I know that place. That dark place. I know exactly how you feel: I felt like Snow was my friend because she didn't really have an alternative. My own grandmother was disgusted with me. I took my mother's life. And then, instead of helping Snow, I led her to Rumplestilstskin who have gave her a potion that erased her love and made her want to kill Regina." Ruby was crying again. "I wanted it to end. But I didn't have the guts to end it myself. And good thing I didn't."_

"_What got you out?" He asked half because he was curious, half because he was seeing a flicker of hope that there may be a way out of this._

"_David." She smiled. "He's like the big brother I never had. And he helped me realize something."_

"_What?"_

"_That I mattered. That I could make a difference." She smiled. "He was desperate to find his love. And when King George's men approached us, he didn't escape alone. He made sure that I was safe too. And then he told me everything about him and Snow. He told me how much he loved her and how he wouldn't give up until he found her. So when the army found our camp, I decided that his cause was worth fighting for. I hadn't morphed into the wolf after what happened to my mother. But that night, I embraced it. I remembered that the night my mother died, I protected Snow. I protected my family. And I was going to do it again. I didn't manage to save him but I gave him a head start. I provided him with enough time to save his love form filling her heart with darkness."_

"_That was it?"_

"_Yeah. I had made a difference. It didn't cost me anything. I was a monster who had taken too many lives already. But this time, I had actually helped someone achieve something good. If it hadn't been for me, Snow might have never drunk that potion. But without me, David wouldn't have found her and saved her." She smiled. So did he._

"_That is a very moving story, Ruby. But you can't compare us." He said. "You mistakes were due to the wolf, mine were because of my poor judgment."_

"_I know that it feels that way now but it will get better. I promise." She stroked his arm. _

_End of Flashback_

He took another sip, smaller this time. As he felt the alcohol spread through his body he decided to focus on the good. He couldn't get back there. His father deserved better. His father didn't deserve a son who would give up so easily.

August knew that he had gone a long way in the past three years and he didn't want to regress just because he was scared. So he decided to focus on the good that he had done.

_Flashback_

"_May I come in?" He heard a soothing female voice._

"_If you must." He couldn't say no. Not to her. Not to his mother._

"_How are you feeling, Pinocchio?" She said with a smile._

"_I'm not Pinocchio any more. Haven't been in a while." He turned his head away._

"_You will always be my little Pinocchio, the little puppet that I turned into a real boy." She stroked his head._

"_Please. I don't deserve your pity." He snapped at her._

"_Enough." It was the first time that he had heard the Blue Fairy raise her voice. "Hurting the people around you will not help. How can you not see that we all care?"_

"_Is that why everyone has been treating him like crap every since you made me real again? Is that why Mary Margaret kept crying every time she saw me? Is that why David keeps sending looks full of hatred at my father? Is that why Henry looks at me as if I didn't even exist? Is that why you treat me with such pity? Or that Emma and Neal blame me for ruining their life together? Or that my father can barely look at me because he's ashamed?"_

"_August, your actions have consequences. All of our actions have consequences. Need I remind you that I was the one to start all this? I was the one who sent Bea in this world hoping that the love that Rumplestilstkin felt for his son would be enough to convince him to follow him here but instead started a path of death and destruction?" She was clearly angry. "But we must learn to live with those consequences. The reason that your father can barely look at you is not because he is ashamed of you but because he doesn't know how to help you. He is trying to give you space but all he wants to do is to take away your pain. And the fact that you are not letting him hurts him greatly."_

"_See why I had to put an end to this?" August insisted. Why couldn't she understand? "My father deserves better. He deserves a son who isn't a failure."_

"_He deserves a son who is alive." She was obviously mad. "Parents love their children no matter their decisions and mistakes. It is the purest and most unconditional love there is. And there is no greater pain that losing your child. You said it yourself, he doesn't deserve to suffer. So don't do this to him." August knew that she wasn't only talking about Gepetto but also about herself._

"_Did you come to lecture me?" He couldn't allow himself to melt down._

"_No. I actually came here to ask you a favor." She said with a bitter tone._

"_Me?"_

"_Yes you." She didn't look very pleased. "I have been working on a way to help Sneezy and Belle gain back their memories. I believe that I am close but I'm missing an ingredient."_

"_And how can I help you exactly?" _

"_I want one of your hairs." _

"_Why?"_

"_Because you were never cursed."_

"_Emma, Neal, Henry and the Queen haven't either. Why don't you ask them?" That would be nice to see: the Blue Fairy plucking a hair from the Evil Queen's head. He smiled._

"_Yes but you were transformed back into who you were supposed to be." She said with a calm tone. "What do you have to lose?"_

"_You can shave my head off for all I care. It won't stay on for much longer." He could see the fear in her eyes. "Just get on with it, please. I want to be alone." The nun reluctantly plucked two hairs from his head._

"_Get better soon." She said after kissing his forehead._

_End of Flashback_

And that had been the beginning. He had made a difference. Thanks to him Sneezy and Belle had retrieved their memories. Well, technically it was because of the Blue Fairy. He couldn't take the credit. But he had helped provide the key ingredient. That was the moment he had realized that Ruby had been right. Maybe he was worth something.

August looked at the mug that he was holding. He got up and pored the rest of the wine in the sink. He wasn't getting drunk. He wasn't going to drink at 9 in the morning. He put away the bottle of wine and decided that it wasn't worth to throw away the progress that he had made. Besides he knew that he wasn't actually afraid of facing the town. He was afraid of facing one particular person. The person who had pushed him over the edge. But he was stronger now. He could take it. He could face her, right? He wasn't quite sure. Something was telling him that whether he was ready or not, he would have to. Deep down he knew that she needed him. He was her protector. And he had done a pretty crap job at protecting her over the past 3 years (well, over the past 32 years but that was another issue). And it appears that he had trusted the wrong person with that task. He'd often thought that he considered Neal the wrong man for Emma because he was himself in love with her. But the face of the woman that he had seen a day before was not the face of a woman who was blissfully happy because she was about to get married to the love of her life. Deep down he knew that was what had pulled him back to Storybrooke but he wasn't ready to admit it yet.

Taking a deep breath, August left the kitchen grabbing his jacket on the way out. He was going to take it slow. He wouldn't look for Emma. If destiny would have them bump into each other, he'd talk to her. Until then, he'd settle for observing his father flirt with Granny, if Jiminy was right, that is.

_AN/ So what do you think? Please, leave a review and don't hate me for the delay. The next chapter will be up soon. I promise._

_PS. I had to include the Granny/Geppetto thing. That would be so funny. Tony Amendola suggested it in one of his interviews._


	6. A morning like every other?

_AN/ As promised, here is the next chapter. You didn't seem to respond to the last one, so I hope that you'll like this one better. I'll do my best to stick to weekly updates. _

_This happens moments after chapter 4. _

Lost in her thoughts, Emma hadn't noticed that David had been coming toward her with a hot cup of coffee until she bumped into him.

"Emma, I'm so sorry." He apologized right away.

"No, it was my fault. I wasn't looking." She tried to evaluate the damage.

"You should remove that shirt right away unless you want to have permanent burns." David said. "Go to the bathroom, I have an extra shirt in my desk drawer that you can borrow."

"What about you?" His shirt was also soaked in the hot beverage.

"Go. I'll be fine."

Emma entered the bathroom and removed her top. In a minute there was a knock and the door opened just enough for David to hand her his spare shirt.

"Thanks." She said and put on the shirt. It was too big for her, so she had to roll the sleeves up. She got out of the bathroom and headed to the open space to find a bare-chested David talking on the phone.

"See you in a bit." He hung up. "Snow will bring us some clean clothes." Emma nodded.

"There must be some spare uniforms somewhere but I have no idea where they are. You can look for them if you want. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

"I'll be fine. Snow will be here quickly." Emma nodded. "Are you ok?" He asked. "It's not like you to walk around so light-headed."

"I'm fine. I just… I didn't sleep very well last night." She tried to avoiding the question. And it wasn't a complete lie. Her dreams were confusing her.

"If you say so." David gave a look. Emma was pretty sure that she'd gotten her ability to recognize liars from David. Although he wasn't as good as her, probably because of a lack of training, David almost always knew when she was trying to hide something. Despite that he rarely meddled. And she was grateful. "Emma, what did you do to your arm?" His voice brought her back from reality.

"This?" She said looking at the bruise on her forearm. "That's nothing."

"Emma, this isn't nothing." He approached her to take a closer look.

"I… I hit my hand when I was putting Leroy in the drunk-tank the other day. Must have hit it harder than I thought." She pulled away and covered her arm with the fabric of the shirt. "Was he like that back… you know… there?"

"Not really. I've heard stories about how drunk he got at my bachelor party but it wasn't a habit." David said. "He's never been drunk that often. And he's never gotten violent before: Neal cut his eyebrow trying to get him sober last week, now you. I should talk to him or ask Snow to do it."

"Don't. Please. He was talking about quitting all the time. And I know that he can do it. You'll just make things worse if you make him feel more guilty." Emma said in the hope that David would drop it.

"Emma…"

"David. No need to get in overprotective dad mode, please." She smiled.

"All right, but at the next incident, I'm stepping in." He said.

"Fine. Now does the term "bachelor party" mean the same thing over there as it does here?" she decided to change the subject.

"I guess." He laughed. "Although I've never been to a royal one. 2 have been organized for me though."

"2?" Emma asked surprised but then remembered that David had been engaged before he'd met Mary Margaret. "Oh yeah. I forgot."

"Yeah. I wasn't really in the mood the first time. While everyone was having fun, I was writing a letter to Snow."

"Sounds like you." She laughed. "And the second one?"

"Well, I wasn't a bachelor. Your mother and I were already married. It didn't feel right." He smiled. Emma laughed.

"Good morning." Sean Herman, aka Prince Thomas made his way in the station. "Flowers for the lovely deputy sheriff."

"Again?" David stood up and went to look for a vase. "Is Neal trying to make me look bad because I don't send flowers to my wife twice a week? 'Cause it certainly feels so."

"Believe me, he's not. And for the record, I really wish he'd stop with this." Emma said trying not to sound too bitter. She didn't make an effort to put the flower in a vase leaving that task to David.

"I, for one, wish he'd continue. He's a pretty good tipper." Thomas let out a laugh.

"Well considering as his father has unlimited financial resources, I'm not surprised." She made a comment.

"Are you sure you want to keep working for Mo?" David asked taking the flowers from Thomas. He wished that his daughter would appreciate more the efforts that her fiancé was making even though he was aware that neither she nor her mother liked getting flowers. "You can come and help around here."

"I know." Thomas said with obvious nostalgia in his tone. "I kind of like working in the flower shop though. More flexible hours and I don't risk getting in some people's way. But you know that you can always count on me if you need help."

"Thanks." David nodded.

"All right. See you soon. Maybe you can purchase flowers for your wife sometime." Thomas joked.

"Thanks for the tip but I have no intention on sleeping on the couch just yet." David replied as Thomas left. He knew better than to give Snow flowers that would die in a week. If he ever got her flowers, they were in a pot and she could take care of them so that they could remind her of their never dying love. "If you don't like getting flowers, why don't you talk to Neal?"

"David, don't try to fix things." Emma said. "I know that you care and I appreciate it but I can take care of my own relationship."

"I know." He answered.

"It's not that I don't like getting flowers. I'm just not used to getting them, I guess." Emma was always reluctant to talk when it came to personal feelings. She got that from Snow. He didn't pressure her to open up. He knew how much she wanted privacy but he wanted to give her that space. So it killed him that he couldn't help. "Was it always smooth between you and Mary Margaret?" The question surprised him.

"What do you mean?"

"Did all the big decisions come easily?" She asked out of nowhere. David decided to cease the moment.

"Some more easily than others." He admitted. "But not the important ones. Getting married. Taking back our kingdom. Having you. Having Leo. All these decisions were taken in a heartbeat because we both knew that they were right."

"That's what I thought." Emma mumbled.

"Why do you ask?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Neal wants to have another kid." She said.

"And you?"

"I don't know." She got up. "I mean it makes sense. It's just that… I feel that we are rushing with everything. I'm still getting used to the idea of getting married." It's not that she didn't love Neal. She did. And they had a son already. But she felt like the main reason why he wanted a second child was to make sure that they would remain together.

"Emma." David sat next to her. It pained him to see her having doubts about the man that she had chosen to spend the rest of her life with. He wondered if Emma and Neal would ever reach the dynamic that he and Snow had reached so easily.

"I know. I know. We've been together for more than 2 years now. We're not rushing anything."

"That's not what I was going to say." He took her hand in his.

"Oh."

"What I was going to say is: don't do anything that you are not ready for. You shouldn't let anyone pressure you."

"David, you realize that you are about 20 years too late with the sex talk right?"

"Very funny. First of all, I'm pretty sure your mother would have handled that. And second of all, that wasn't my point. If you do not feel ready to get married or to have another child, then don't rush into it. And preferably don't wait for the night before your wedding to decide. It might create problems." He winked at her.

"Says the run away groom." Emma joked.

"Former run away groom." He laughed. "And I had a good reason. I wouldn't have done that to Snow."

"That's only because you knew that wherever you went, I would always find you." Emma turned to the direction from which that voice had come only to find her mother standing in the doorway.

"I never even wanted to run away." David god up and kissed his wife with passion.

"Hm" Emma cleared her throat. "Daughter in the room."

"Sorry." Snow blushed slightly. "Here are your clothes."

"Thanks." Emma took the bag from her mother and headed to the bathroom.

"You are welcome." Snow smiled and handed David a shirt. She waited until Emma had disappeared in the bathroom and turned to her husband. "David, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" He asked worried.

"On my way here, I saw Marco." She was obviously worried. "He was almost dancing from joy."

"That could only mean that…"

"August is back in town." Snow finished his sentence.

"When did he come back?" He asked.

"Apparently a couple of days ago." Snow answered and started walking nervously in the small office. "Should we tell Emma?"

"It's not like we can hide it. She'll find out eventually."

"I know… But how do we tell her? I don't want to bring back those painful memories."

"Me neither." David knew better than anyone the hell that Emma had gone through 3 years ago.

_Flashback_

"_The cuts are deep. He's losing a lot of blood." David heard the EMT say while rushing an unconscious August into the ER. He saw Emma and Archie next to the gurney. _

"_He's dying." Emma yelled at the doctors. "Get Whale here NOW!_

"_I'm here. You need to step back." Whale rushed to them. "Get him into surgery now. And get 2 banks of O__-__."_

"_Emma, let them take care of him." David took Emma by the arms and tried to pull her away from August._

"_Let go of me." She tried to fight back._

"_He has to go in the OR. You have to stay here." Whale said. "How long has he been like this?"_

"_A few minutes maybe. I don't know." Archie explained. "We found him on the bathroom floor."_

"_Don't stay here like this. DO SOMETHING!" Emma yelled._

"_Emma, look at me." David made his daughter face him. "Stay with me. Stay with me." He tried to get her to focus on something else than … whatever was happening. _

"_I'll do what I can." Whale looked at Emma. "I promise." With that he left. _

"_Can someone explain to me what happened?" David looked at Archie. All he knew was that there was a 911 call saying that August was being rushed in the hospital by Emma. _

"_We found him on the bathroom floor." Archie explained. "He… he…"_

"_He tried to kill himself. He cut his veins open." Emma finished for him in a cold indifferent tone._

"_What? Why?" David asked._

"_Maybe we can discuss that later when we know that he's all right." Archie said before Emma could answer and added. 'I will call Marco." David nodded._

_End of Flashback_

"She cried herself to sleep in my arms that night." David said. "Do you think that she still blames herself?"

"On some level." Snow answered. "But maybe meeting with him will allow her to forgive herself. To have closure."

"Maybe." David ran his hands through his hair. A sign that Snow knew to mean that he was worried. "She finally managed to put it behind her."

"Are you so sure she has?" David gave his wife a questioning look. "She hasn't been able to straighten out her relationship with Neal and maybe it's because she never fully had closure on the whole August separating them thing. And then she blamed herself for his suicide attempt." They remained silent for a minute. "David. Do you think it's a coincidence that he is coming back now, a month after Emma and Neal got engaged?"

"I don't know." David finally said after a few seconds of silence. "Do you think that he knows about the engagement and he is here to stop her? He should know better than to meddle in her life again."

"As should we." Snow finally realized. "We have to tell her that he's back. And it is up to her to decide whether she wants to talk to him or not."

"Who are you guys talking about?" David and Snow turned to see their daughter enter back the room.

_AN/ This chapter may seem as a waste of time but there are hidden clues in there as to what is really going on with Emma's life so just bear with me. And I wanted to have her have a moment with David._


	7. Past meets Past

_Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only and has no commercial aim. Please do not publish without my explicit consent_

_AN/ Ok, don't hate me. I know that I promised weekly updates but that was impossible to uphold with my internship and all. I am so sorry for not updating in such a long time. I understand if my late updates make you lose interest but I love this story and I will continue writing for those of you who are patient enough. _

Resigned to the fact that he was forced into going to town, August took a shower, got dressed and made his way out of the house. He took out his bike from the garage, put his helmet on and started the engine. He was grateful that his father's house was in the periphery of the small town. It allowed him to ease into the idea of confronting his past. It was still early, so he decided to take a spin around the shore. He had never been a big fan of swimming but the coast of Maine was different. When he arrived at the docks, he parked his bike and started walking. He passed by a couple of boats. Some people recognized him. Of course they did, he'd been the one who had taken their Queen's place in the wardrobe. He had been the one to ruin their Princess' life. Everyone knew the failure that he was. However, people did not have the reaction that he expected them to. They were nodding politely, smiling and greeting him with an awkward yet warm "Welcome back". Nothing reminded him of the hostile looks that people had thrown at him a few years back. No one was pointing at him and telling their kid that they shouldn't be like him. Storybrooke had definitely changed. Families had been reconstituted. Friends had reconnected.

Regretting coming to the docks instead of the usually deserted beach, August mounted his bike in search of a more solitary place. He'd expected that coming back to Storybrooke would be tricky but he hadn't known just how much until now. And it wasn't the looks that people threw at him. That, he had prepared for. No. What he had not anticipated was that everything in this town, every rock, every tree, every flower every single grain of sand reminded him of Emma. She was everywhere. Not that she hadn't been while he was away, but now… He passed by that bench where he'd brought her coffee once and they had discussed how to free Mary Margaret from jail. He felt pathetic. He was feeling like crap because of a bench. He accelerated the bike trying to focus on the road to the only place in this town that brought hope, a place that his heart was deeply attached to, the place where he and Emma had had their first "date", the one and only Storybrooke Wishing Well, where all things lost were supposedly returned. When he arrived at his destination, he went around the well and traced its contours with his hand. He'd taken Emma here because he'd hoped that she would believe in the magic or the water. Now, nearly 4 years later, he wasn't sure whether he believed in it himself. He rolled the bucket and thought of what he would wish for. Forgiveness? To get Emma back? To be a young innocent boy whose mistakes wouldn't have any real impact? No. All these things were extremely selfish and wouldn't fix anything. That was something that he had to do the old-fashioned way. His thoughts went back to the people that he loved, at everything that he had learned about Storybrooke from his father and Jiminy, at what he had seen so far, and most importantly what he had not seen. And he knew what his wish would be. The one thing that he wanted back most of all. He closed his eyes and took a sip. He smiled, put back his helmet on his head, got on his bike and headed toward Granny's to meet his father and Jiminy.

When August arrived at Granny's, Gepetto was not there yet. However wishing to avoid the streets, he decided to get in the diner and say hello to Red and Granny.

"August." Ruby greeted his right away. She put down the plate that she was carrying and she hugged him. "Let me take a look at you." Yep, even after all these years, Red Riding Hood would still act like Pinocchio's mom or big sister. "You look good. Come on, Granny made blueberry muffins just for you."

"How did she…" August was about to ask but then realized. "How many people has my father told?"

"He didn't need to tell anyone. The smile that he'd been carrying on his face all morning was explicit enough." Ruby said.

"Of course it was." August let out a sigh.

"Come on. Let me bring you a cup of coffee and a muffin and we can catch up." She gave him a smile. "Don't you dare refuse!"

"Fine." August sat down and waited for her to come back, knowing a lost cause when he saw one. "Thank you, Ruby."

"You are calling everyone with their real names, why not me?" She asked curious.

"You aren't calling by my given name either." He shot back at her, not really complaining.

"Yeah, well, I don't want to think that I was drooling over the woodcrafter's 7 year old kid when he came in Storybrooke in a leather jacket on a bike."

"Same here. And the fact that my stories about Nepal and lemurs were the reason that you almost left town and nearly gave your grandmother a heart attack." He laughed.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." She smiled. "Well, if it hadn't been for you, I probably wouldn't have left the diner to work in the sheriff station. And I wouldn't have discovered that part of me that was still alive even during the curse. Thank you for that."

"You're welcome. I guess." August took a bite from the best blueberry muffin that he'd ever tasted. "This is good."

"I'm glad you like it." She responded with a genuine smile. "So, tell me everything. Like you used to before the curse broke."

"Promise not to hit on me?" He was aware that his desperate attempt to change the subject was extremely lame and absolutely pointless but somehow, he'd wanted to try.

"I'm offended by that." Ruby said with a not so innocent smile. "I'm an engaged woman, you know?"

"Whale?" Ruby smiled and waved her ring. "Red Riding Hood and Dr Frankenstein. You don't see that every day. Don't tell me that he's the jealous type."

"He isn't. Something to do with not wanting to punch people. But, no matter how handsome you turned out to be, you will always be my little 'Nocchio." She smiled and poked his nose.

"And to think that I managed to make it 30 years without hearing that name." August took another sip of coffee knowing that his attempts to avoid talking about his time away were miserably failing.

"Now. Stop avoiding the question and tell me where you were these past 3 years." She could see right past his poker face. Just like old times.

"Mostly DC. Decided to focus on my writing." He said hoping that this answer would suffice but knowing that it wouldn't.

"I can see that. Or rather read it. 3 years. 3 books. Not bad." He could almost hear the million questions that she was anxiously waiting to ask him.

"I had a lot of time to kill." He looked outside hoping that his father would enter and interrupt this conversation. He knew that Red was curious when it came to people's lives, it had been genuine concern. But having lived as Ruby for nearly 30 years had made her nosy.

"You found back, at least partially, that faith that you had when you came here. That's good." She paused as if carefully formulating her next sentence. "I recognized many people from this town in your book.

"Yeah. I didn't realize it until later." He admitted. "I guess I was influenced by their stories more than I realized."

"You sure were." She noted. "Of course some influenced you more than others." He didn't respond. He'd been hoping that she wouldn't go there. "Hey." She made him look at her. "August, everyone knows who Ana really is. The way that you describe her… It's obvious. Only a person in love can describe someone like that."

"Ruby, please." He didn't want to talk about this. He'd tried so hard to ignore his feelings for Emma for the past 3 years and he'd miserably failed. He didn't need anyone else to put salt into his wounds.

"It's ok. I won't force you to talk about it. Just know that I'm here for you. Just like old times in the palace." She gave him a reassuring smile and he nodded. There was an awkward silence. "I'm guessing you heard about…"

"Yes." His tone was dry and showed that he clearly wanted to put an end to the discussion.

"I'm so sorry." She said with compassion.

"Nothing to be sorry for." He avoided looking at her.

"Yes there is. You are hurting and I can see it."

"It doesn't matter." He regretted confirming her theory.

"Yes it does. But, if you ask me, they won't go through with it. And Granny agrees with me. And Victor does too." He gave a look. "I know. It's none of my business. But I was right about David not going through with his first wedding and I'm right now. Don't lose hope. Have you even spoken to her?" He didn't answer. "Why? You are more stable emotionally now. And she has come to terms with everything that happened in Phoenix. More or less. The last time you two spoke her entire world had just turned upside down…"

"I thought we weren't going to talk about it." He immediately regretted snapping at her like that but he couldn't afford to have this conversation yet. And even less in the middle of the town's diner.

"Fine." August knew that she wasn't ready to let it go for good but he was glad that she didn't push more now. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Do you have any idea when my father will be here? It's almost lunch time and he wanted me to meet him here so we can eat together."

"He's usually here by now. But I guess that the damage to the Rabbit Hole was greater than he expected." She took a deep breath. "Not that I'm complaining. Don't get me wrong. I love your dad, it's just that..." She stopped as if unsure whether he knew about Geppetto and Granny.

"So Jiminy was right about…" He couldn't even finish his sentence before Ruby interrupted him.

"Unfortunately for my eyes, yes. The upside is that we now sell actual lasagna instead of the frozen crap that we served for nearly 30 years." They both laughed. At that moment the diner's owner entered the room. "Speak of the devil."

"Ruby, how many times did I tell you not to stop and chat? There are customers waiting." The Grumpy old woman said as she positioned herself behind the counter.

"Well, you'll make an exception this time if you looked up for a second." Ruby answered in her typical daring tone.

"Really…" Then Granny noticed August. Unfortunately August's plan to remain unseen or at least avoid becoming the center of attention was not working. "Look at you boy. It's good to see some color back on your cheeks." August swore that if she pinched his cheeks like she used to when he was a kid he was going to kill his father for being late.

"It's nice to see you too, Mrs Lucas." He politely smiled.

"Polite as always." The old woman smiled. "You have been missed." But just as she was about to come near him to give him a hug…

"Pinocchio!" August still shivered when someone called him that. He turned back and saw his father enter the diner. Relieved that he could now move on with his day, he decided not to correct the old man. "I am so sorry for being late. Hook not only broke the door but also did some damage to the pool tables."

"Seriously?" Ruby was quite curious.

"Well, he did not do it all by himself." Gepetto explained. "Apparently he had a few disagreements with some customers who were not very fond of his compliments toward their wives."

"Then how come he isn't in jail. At times like this, he usually wakes up at the sheriff station, much to David's disliking." Ruby said and turned her gaze toward August as if she wanted to apologize. His father and Jiminy had avoided speaking about the Royal family around him. To be fair, mentioning them didn't really bother him. But whenever he thought of them, he thought of Emma and that caused him pain especially after seeing her face a couple of days before when she'd come to collect the wooden horse for her brother.

"He spent the night in the ER. If you ask me, he deserves to be locked up until he learns to appreciate people around him. And understands how to respect women." The woodcrafter commented.

"And that is coming from the Italian heart stealer." August realized that that comment was coming from Granny.

"Good day to you too, Beverly." (_AN/ I couldn't think of another name for Granny, so I just used the name of the actress who plays her._) August had rarely seen his father smile like that. "How are you today? Why don't you and Red join us for lunch? Jiminy should be here any minute."

"That is a very good idea." Granny smiled back. "While we wait, can you explain to my cook how to properly prepare pasta Bolognese?"

"Of course." The old man followed the diner's owner in the kitchen. "But you will owe my dinner."

"Don't you miss the good old times when she was just Granny and your father was just the woodcrafter of the palace?" Ruby whispered in his ear. August smiled. He was happy for his father. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was him. He'd had a hard life partially because of his irresponsible son, so now said son wouldn't feel weird about his father dating. Someone in that family should be happy.

Soon after, Jiminy came to the diner and they all sat together to have lunch. Ruby made it a point to put August up to speed with all the events of Storybrooke. Almost like she was compensating for his absence. And even though he didn't really care when Granny informed him that the baker had a very beautiful daughter who would be a nice match for him he was glad that the conversation was about other people than him. As if they were afraid to approach the topic, they all avoided talking about Emma. Unfortunately that was the information that he was craving for the most. He wanted to know how she was doing, whether she was happy with Neal, whether Henry was doing well after all the family drama. There were so many things that he wished that they talked about but he couldn't ask.

"The meal was delicious, Beverly. Thank you." Marco said once they were done.

"You are welcome. And I will see you tomorrow?" The old woman asked.

"As usual." August was pleased to see his father enthusiastic. He was just hoping to have a good excuse to be out of the house during their date. "Son, you will help me with the repairs, yes?" The woodcrafter asked while heading to the door.

"Of course, father." August answered and reached for his bandana, which was lying on the bench, while his father opened the door of the diner. When he looked up, he realized that an uncomfortable silence had taken over the diner and everyone was staring at the figure standing at the door and then bake at him. He wasn't expecting that encounter but Storybrooke was a small town and Granny's was the only diner in town. He ignored the unsettling feeling in his stomach and put on a fake smile.

After David left to get Hook from the ER, Emma was finally alone in the station and allowed herself to face the news that she'd heard earlier. August was back in town. He'd come back on the same night, probably at the same time that she'd dreamt of him. And that scared her to death. Having heard many stories about the Enchanted Forest, she didn't believe in this type of coincidences any more.

For a minute she tried to think of the consequences of his arrival. Did that change anything? Not really. However, that meant that she couldn't avoid dealing with the August issue any more. She had to face the fact the consequences of the ways that she treated him. The fact that it was her who pushed down a road of darkness. Feeling as though there was not enough air in the room, she got up and opened a window although she doubted that it changed anything. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Why did August always manage to mess with her head? She had a perfectly good life now, right? Why did he have to come back and mess it up? Suddenly she was hit by a realization: he hadn't come back because of her. His life didn't revolve around her. His father was here and no one knew better than her the need to be around family after being separated for years. And this time, August's separation from Marco had been because of her. Because she hadn't managed to control her rage and pushed August to do the unthinkable. She'd never intended that. She'd said things that she hadn't meant but she never got the chance to tell August that. She had been angry. And confused. Confused about things that she still wasn't ready to admit.

Maybe this was a second chance. A chance for her to explain that she wasn't angry with him anymore for what he'd done. Even though she was mad about the methods that he'd used, she understood that he'd been very young. His life had been just as hard as hers. Maybe even harder, she hadn't had to adapt to a whole new world as a kid. She'd been raised here. And she had to admit that he had started a path toward fixing his mistakes. He'd been there for her in a crucial moment of her life. He had been her only ally against Regina while her mother had been in jail. He had helped her without asking for anything in return; without pressuring her to believe in the curse until he was pressured by time himself. And she had rejected him. She hadn't believed him. He might have been the reason why she had ended up in jail but she had been the reason he almost died 3 times. He had completely turned to wood because she hadn't believed him in time. He had been electrocuted to death in order to protect her from Tamara. He had almost… almost… killed himself… - and she let tear drop from her eye at that thought - because she hadn't had the ability to forgive him. He had made mistakes, but hers were greater. Hers were unforgivable.

After David brought Hook in for questioning, Emma excused herself. She knew that leaving her father alone with the pirate wasn't the wisest decision but she couldn't deal with that right now. On her way out of the office, she knocked over the bouquet that Neal had sent her that morning. Without looking back she left the station and got into her car. As she passed Granny's diner, she saw something that made her immediately stop: a bike; a bike that she knew all too well because she had been on it more than a couple of times. A bike that reminded her of its owner just as much as the booth in the diner where they had made plans for their first date, or the wishing well where said date had occurred, or… her heart was beating so fast that she thought that it was going to explode. Her chance of an apology was standing only a few feet away from her ignoring her presence. All she had to do was get out of her car and open the door. She had to gather the courage that August had gathered a few years back when he'd told her the truth. But was she ready to face him? Was she ready to be reminded of her cruelty? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. No one was forcing her to do this. Part of her wanted to run away and never look back. The other was somehow longing to see him, to know that he was all right, that she hadn't damaged him for good.

Before she could make her decision, she noticed Neal of all people approach the diner and she remembered that she was supposed to have lunch with him, so that they could decide on a date for the wedding. Right! Wedding! She was getting married. To Neal. August had nothing to regret. He hadn't destroyed her relationship. Just put it on hold for a little bit. He had nothing to feel guilty about. She on the other hand… Neal entered the little area before the diner. Was she ready to be in the same room as Neal and August in the same time knowing that her… fiancé (gosh that sounded weird)… was making less than polite comments about the former puppet when he wasn't there? That is how that part of her that wanted to run took over. Before she knew it, she had started the car again and she was heading toward the town border as if crossing it would leave all her troubles behind. Little did she know that said troubles would force her to face them sooner than she expected.

She didn't realize in which direction she had been driving until she reached a small diner. As soon as she recognized it, she stopped the car and started walking out of need for air. Why had she come here of all places? This diner symbolized so much… It was a symbol of the fact that she and August were linked forever. It was also the symbol of the place where she had let him down, where she refused to believe. It was also a place where she somehow felt safe. It wasn't something she could understand let alone explain. The more she entered in the forest, the safer she felt: like nothing could reach her; like she was protected; like she didn't need to run any more. She walked around as if she were looking for something not knowing what it was until she found it. A tree. A tree with a giant hole on the bottom. She recognized it immediately. This was the tree which had brought her to this world. Her and August. This tree was the symbol of their connection. A connection that she could feel even now, after not seeing him for 3 years, but that she could definitely not understand. She leaned her back on the tree and slowly brought her body down until she was sitting on the ground. As no one was watching her, she left all the emotions that she'd been piling up for God only knows how long come out. She finally let herself sob quietly.

She felt her phone vibrate signalizing that someone was calling her. Without looking who it was she switched it off. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. She just wanted to be alone to process everything that had been going on around her for the past 4 years. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear when someone approached the tree.

"Emma? Is that you?" said a voice that she would recognize anywhere and the sound of which made her heart skip a beat. Hoping that he hadn't seen her tears, she wiped them away as well as she could and stood up to face her past. "Yeah, August. It's me."

_AN/ So? Any thoughts on what August's wish was?_

_I know that the first part of the chapter seems pointless but I it's not. I wanted to show the feeling that August got once he was back: like he's home but a stranger in the same time._

_What do you think of the couple Regina/Hook. I'm thinking of including them in the background: I think that they would be good together but this fic will still revolve around August and Emma._

_Please, leave a comment whether is it to critique my writing or to make a suggestion or just to let me know that you are there._


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